I think there's a very good chance he's better than Lletget now. Which is why I would call him in. But I don't think anyone can guarantee that. Bojan Krkic was the next big thing (he's the younger guy on Reyna's list); now he's in MLS and a worse player than Lletget. Do I think Reyna busts? No. But what's the harm in making Reyna at least play as well as Lletget in camp to get the majority of time? People think that just because Reyna has played in the Bundesliga that he's right now better than anyone who hasn't. That's not necessarily true. He might be, and it's really likely he will be. But Favre has wisely put him in positions to succeed, and he's done well in two games, been mediocre in another and been not so good in another. And I'd say there are lots of elements about a CL game that are easier than playing in San Pedro Sula, on a crappy field, with worse teammates, with shit refs who let people beat you up, and perhaps, in a situation where you just aren't there to play a small role but rather are a vital part of the offense.
The apprehension I would have is that Egg is judging these players' abilities in camp. He's already chosen "his group" that most here, and virtually everyone getting paid to be involved in professional soccer, would say is not the best. So what happens if Reyna goes into camp, and Egg deems him not good enough? Would you trust that, or would you trust the Dortmund camp that is throwing him out there in pressure cooker CL matches?
When have we ever had that? Sadly, never. Pulisic, Adams, McKennie and Dest have never played together. And even if healthy, in terms of attacking talent, he's far more likely to be surrounded by one star in Pulisic and a couple of folks operating more at the MLS level. It's not Reus, Sancho, and Haaland. He'll be asked to create more with less help from his teammates. It would be really, really cool if we could ever get healthy. Sigh.
I think Berhalter has evaluated pretty well in camp -- it's been his tendency to want continuity in who is in camp that's been an issue. If Reyna gets called in, I highly doubt he is judged lacking. He's going to get PT, and he can show his stuff. Stylistically, he fits right into the way Berhalter wants to play. So I doubt we're going to see that. If Reyna is as good as everyone thinks, this is going to be like integrating Sergino Dest, not a borderline case. But let's say you're right. Let's say he doesn't play. I'd question Berhalter, but I'd want to know if he failed to outplay someone like Lletget or Morris or whomever he was up against. So the flip comes back to you: You invite Reyna in, and he's terrible all camp. Can't complete a pass, won't play within a team concept, struggles to integrate with the other players. I can understand still giving him some minutes, but you'd bunch a better player to start him twice? How does the benched player react? How do the other players react to that? How does Reyna react? All I am saying is that a) I'd give young, high potential players looks in camp but b) I'd make them earn significant PT (smaller amounts of PT based on potential are fine). How is this controversial? Are you really proposing that lineups spots should be given SOLELY on club affiliation or fanbase hype? That U20 performance should supercede USMNT performance (and Reyna was not good at the U17s...) ? If the sole input into player evaluation is club affiliation, I don't really have time for that evaluation. That's a data point, not a scouting report. This is all a moot point, I'd bet. I bet he gets called in, plays really well, gets a bunch of time in the friendlies and becomes a part of the pool quickly.
Once again, super long and meandering. You asked that players get called in and prove it in camp. Fine. I said Egg has shown he thinks some of our best players are Zardes, Bradley, Guzan, Trapp, and Arriola. That's all. Obviously players should earn their spot. And no, I don't blindly rank players by club affiliation in general. But when a 17 year old is getting legit minutes (over a player who literally won his nation a World Cup), for a top 2-3 BL squad, a top 15 team in the world...yes, I'll roll with their judgement over you, myself, Egg, and pretty much anyone else.
It's relevant because your talking about merit, and earning your spot and NONE OF THAT IS HAPPENING. I don't disagree w/your points, to some extent, in an ideal, non-post-Couva world, I'd really agree with it. But Couva happened, which is one strike, and then the ridiculous 2019 call ups happened, which is a 2nd strike, and then the third strike happened, which is interview references to "the group" as if there should be a cemented group in 2019 post camp cupcake. Merit and Earning spots makes sense when people are competing in a fair environment. That's not happened, and it hasn't been happening at all for quite a while, and in '19 it reached it's nadir. I don't disagree w/you philosophically, especially when things are humming along like they were '02-'10, but it doesn't work when the coach himself and the fed itself aren't playing a merit based game w/regards to call ups. They're rigging it w/"the group" being the end result in mind.
It's not that he is playing in the Bundi as much as what I have been seeing him do there that makes me think he needs to be integrated ASAP.
necessatily true? Perhaps not but extremely likely to be true? Absolutely. Just like emerging MLB stars are better than life long AAA players. the chance that lletget is better than Reyna is quite small - he simply doesn’t have either the athleticism or the skill that Gio has. It’s not particularly close. He also not a warrior type who can grind out games in tough conditions like bedoya, for example.
Would this thread exist if he didn't play on the field for Borussia Dortmund? Inquiring Minds want to know.....
Depends on what he did there. He'd have to be a starter and be getting goals and assists since the level is lower but we had a Tyler Adams thread when he was RBNY. Now if the coach wouldn't play him then there might be a thread with a couple of posts but not the explosion he's had at BD. If he'd scored 15-20 goals at NYFC as a 16 year old there would also be a lot of posts mostly about where he should move to.
Of course this thread would be different if he were playing in New York, at a much lower level, whether he was starting there or not. We have had plenty of guys who have excelled in MLS. We have had very few who have excelled in the Champions League. It's a very different thread for a very different and special accomplishment that only a select few in our player pool have ever achieved. And, he's done it as a 17 year old. He'd still be good enough to deserve a cap were he in MLS, but it's not like this team is shy about capping MLS guys. We going to pretend MLS players get shorted now?
We'll see. The amount of young talent in MLS gets more impressive every year. But I think Gio is a pretty rare talent.
I read it somewhat differently. Which is that there are other young American players who would be making as big a splash as Reyna if they just had that passport.